The intellectual heart of UC Berkeley, the College of Letters and Science (L&S) is the largest of the university’s 14 colleges and schools and the most prestigious teaching and research unit in the UC system.

The College of Letters & Science stands at the heart of Berkeley’s intellectual preeminence and comprehensive excellence. Our continued leadership in education, research, and public service depends on private philanthropy.

Monthly payments via electronic funds transfer may be arranged through your bank and the UC Berkeley Foundation. An EFT authorization form must be submitted to the university to activate monthly withdrawals. See the form for contact information.

Pledges

By spreading payments over a period of time — typically not more than five years —pledges allow donors to make larger commitments at a comfortable pace. For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.

Bank Wire Transfer

Wire transfers are most commonly used for gifts made from outside the United States. Since banks provide minimal information on wire transfers, please alert our office that a wire transfer has been made to ensure proper disposition of the gift. For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.

Gifts of Securities

Securities can be transferred directly from your brokerage account to the university’s account. (Securities are recorded based on the mean market value of the stock on the date of gift, which is the date you relinquish control of the stock.) For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.

Planned Gifts

A planned or deferred gift is a donation pledged to the university by a donor to be transferred to the university according to a schedule determined by the donor. These contributions are made to the university through bequest, charitable trust, charitable gift annuity, pooled income fund, life estate agreement, or similar vehicles. Berkeley’s team of gift planning experts can help you select from a wide variety of tax-wise giving strategies. For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.

Real Property

Gifts of real estate, including land, buildings, and other improvements and oil, mineral, and related rights, are accepted on a case-by-case basis. Outright gifts of real estate are counted at their fair market value on the date of gift. The campus is responsible for negotiating gifts of real property with the donor and reviewing the property title, value, and potential for the existence of hazardous substances. To begin the process, please contact the L&S College Relations office.

Gifts-in-Kind

Gifts-in-kind are items of tangible personal property such as art, books, computer equipment, and automobiles. They are donated for related educational purposes and are recorded at their fair market value. Gifts-in-kind valued in excess of $500 should be accompanied by a deed of gift and the fair market value as determined by the donor. The IRS and the university require that you provide an independent appraisal of gifts-in-kind valued at more than $5,000. For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.

Memorial and Honorary Gifts

A memorial gift can help perpetuate the values and ideals that guided someone’s life. Honorary gifts commemorate a significant event or someone who is still living. Such gifts can be made to the L&S Leadership Fund for general support of L&S’s educational mission, or donors may direct their support to specific purposes.

The procedures for making such gifts are similar to those for cash, check, credit card, and securities as described above. Please be sure to identify the individual who is being honored with the gift. For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.

Matching Gifts

Hundreds of companies currently match their employees’ gifts to UC Berkeley. You receive full credit for your matching gifts for the purposes of recognition and benefits. For receipting and tax reasons, the matched portion of the gift must be recorded on the corporation’s record. For more information, contact us at L&S College Relations.